


The Rabbit Hole

by Purple_ducky00



Series: Ducky's Once Upon a Time [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Not Canon Compliant, Prequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2019-11-27 23:11:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 8,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18200276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purple_ducky00/pseuds/Purple_ducky00
Summary: A prequel to Down the Rabbit Hole.How Jefferson and Alice met - the origin stories.Will be adding characters as they show up.I am updating this story when I get the chance, but as I have other responsibilities, it may not be quick updates. :-(





	1. Chapter 1

Jefferson didn’t have the happiest childhood. He didn’t remember his mother at all – no one spoke if her either. His father was a drunkard and a gambler. In fact, he gambled away the rights to his son when Jefferson was 6.  
At age 6, Jefferson went to work as a slave/indentured servant to the village hatter, who was an angry abusive man. By the time he was 9, Jefferson was doing all the work at the millinery shop. The only time he had to himself was when he was asleep.  
One night, he was coming home from an errand when he saw a girl about his age in very odd clothing standing on the side of the road. She was wearing a dress to her knees and her calves and ankles were scandalously showing.  
He walks up to her. “Miss? Can I help you?”  
“I-I think I’m dreaming…” She tells him. “I was just in bed.”  
He laughs. “Miss, begging your pardon, I wish this was a dream, but this is real life. Would you like me to pinch you?”  
She sticks out her arm, which he takes, surprised. “Pinch it.” Squeezing her eyes tight when he pinches her, she looks surprised to see him still there. “I guess… I’m not dreaming.”  
“What’s your name? I’m Jefferson.”  
“My name’s Alice. I don’t know where I am.”  
“You’re in the Enchanted Forest. Are you hungry?”  
“No, Mrs. Pettiworth just gave me some cookies before bed.” She stops short.  
“Do you have anywhere to go?” Jefferson asks.  
“No. I don’t know where anyone is.”  
“Come with me. I can find a place for you to sleep tonight. It’ll just be a little farther.”  
They walk down the road a few minutes until Alice sighs, “My feet hurt. I wish I had a wagon or something.” All of a sudden, there appeared a wagon with a horse to pull it!  
Jefferson jumps back. “Are you a fairy or a witch?”  
“No, I’m just a little girl.”  
“But – but you have… magic!”  
“I do?” Alice looks surprised.  
“Yes, you just made this…” He stops when he sees Alice looks scared. “Just let’s go… it’s getting dark.” They climb on the wagon and make their way to the millinery shop.  
When they got there, the hatter was already passed out drunk. Jefferson gave Alice some food and told her to take his bed. He fell asleep on the floor by the fire. When he awoke the next morning, Alice was gone. He tried looking for her, but he had work to do.


	2. Chapter 2

Two nights later, Jefferson heard a knock on his door. It was Alice.  
“I’m dreaming. I must be.” She tells him.  
“Miss Alice, this is real life. I would not be here if this was a dream.”  
“Well, it’s a dream for me! I just crawled through a rabbit hole to get here! Wanna go somewhere else?”  
“I wish I could, Miss, but I can’t leave here. He-he’d kill me.” Jefferson tilts his head back at the milliner.   
“Come on, we’ll be back before sunrise. That’s when I wake up.” She pulls him with her. “Where do you want to go? Want to see a city made of gold? Follow me!” A rabbit hole appeared in the ground in front of her. Jefferson reluctantly follows her down through the hole.  
“Are you s…” Jefferson stops short as the sight before him almost blinds him. The sun reflects off every surface because every surface was pure gold! “Wow.”  
“I know, right? They told me this place is called ‘El Dorado'! You know, the city that Cortez was looking for!”  
Well Jefferson didn’t know who this Cortez was, nor did he care. He was in awe of this city. “Al-Alice. How did we get here?”   
“Through the rabbit hole!” She tells him matter-of-factly.  
“Can – can we walk around? Will they be mad at us?”  
“No, they like me. I’ve been here before. But no stealing!” She warns him. They spend the day exploring the city of El Dorado until Alice grabs Jefferson by the arm.   
“We have to go! I’m waking up soon!” She opens the rabbit hole again, and they run through. Once back in the Enchanted Forest, they sit outside the millinery shop.  
“How old are you?” Alice asks him.  
“Nine years old.”  
Her face lights up. “Me too! Can we be friends? I'll come visit you most nights!”  
Jefferson never had a friend before. He smiles shyly. “If you want to, miss.”   
She grabs his hand. “That’s swell! I've never had a secret friend before. Oh no I’m waking up!” She disappears into the air. Jefferson goes to bed, dreaming of a golden city.


	3. Chapter 3

The next night, Alice takes him to a place called Verona. She is excited because “It’s like Romeo and Juliet! It’s a story my nurse read to me.” She tells him when he looks at her funny.   
When they get home, Alice tells Jefferson a secret. “I'd rather be here than awake. This is so much fun! When I’m awake, no one likes me and I’m all alone.” She embraces him as he stiffens. They weren’t supposed to touch like this, right?  
The next night, she takes him to Wonderland, a land of imagination. Anything could happen there. Jefferson was a little wary of this place, but Alice loved it. She would come back, time after time.  
Every night, they’d try someplace new, and then when they came back to the Enchanted Forest, they would sit and talk before Alice woke up. This went on for several years. They noticed that whenever Alice was in her dreams, anything she wanted happened. She helped keep peace in kingdoms and fed the poor with food she just wished into being. She had to be careful, though, because a careless word could cause problems.  
Jefferson would talk about her when she was awake, and no one would believe him until he had enough! “She will come tonight! Just come to the millinery shop and wait.” That night, with the whole town awake and waiting, Alice did not come. Jefferson stayed awake all night, wondering why she chose not to come.   
“I told you the boy was mad.” The hatter's wife shakes her head. “My husband will set him straight.”  
“No, I’m telling the truth! She comes from a land without magic!” Jefferson cries.  
“Get up boy. We all know there's no such thing.” The hatter pulls Jefferson to his feet and drags him into the shop. He then is severely beaten and forced to work days on end with no rest.   
After that night, Jefferson is treated like an outcast. People avoided him, calling him “mad". He was stuck in the back room of the hatter’s shop, just making hats. He soon grew to resent Alice and all his memories with her, but he never once doubted that she was here. The hatter and his wife died when Jefferson was 15. As they were childless, Jefferson inherited the shop. The townsfolk avoided the shop, and Jefferson spent his life in solitude.


	4. Chapter 4

At age 17, an old woman came into town. Believing she was a witch, the townspeople stupidly hurled insults at her and refused to have anything to do with her. (Seriously, what is up with that? Wouldn’t you want to be on a powerful magic user's good side? Well, it’s not like it hasn’t been said that people are crazy.) To spite the townspeople, Jefferson fed her and offered her his room to sleep. It’s not like he slept much anyways. She thanked him profusely for his help.  
“If you could have anything at all in this world, what would it be?” The woman asked, figuring that he would say money, which is what most people say immediately.  
Jefferson contemplates for a minute, then replies. “I want to get out of here. I would like to visit different lands.” He then launches into the story of Alice and how she took him to different dimensions.   
“And you would like to do this yourself?” The witch asks, surprised.  
“Yes.”  
“Bring me one of your hats.” Jefferson complies. She mutters a few spells and covers the hat with a liquid from a flask. A purple cloud surrounds the hat, then settles into it. “This hat is the key to your travels. However, all magic comes with a price. The number of people who go into the hat must come out. Try it. Spin the hat.”  
Jefferson spins the hat. The hats spins and grows bigger, collecting a cloud of purple.   
“Jump in!” The witch yells. Jefferson hesitates, but then jumps. Once at the bottom, there is a room that looks like a circular parlor. There are doors surrounding the parlor. He walks up to one, hesitates, then pulls the door open. What could go wrong? He is greeted by a golden palace in the middle a of lush green jungle. What is this place?


	5. Chapter 5

He traipses through this jungle, wondering at the beautiful fruit and plants. A rustle in the woods startles him. He turns to see two men following him. “Ahh! Who are you?”  
One of the men makes a guttural sound towards the other, who steps forward, raising his spear. “You. Are. Englishman?”  
“No! What’s an Englishman? Please don’t kill me! I don’t even know where I am!” He pleads.   
“Why you speak their tongue?”  
“I don’t know!”  
The man sneers. “All Englishmen do is kill and steal. We take you to Massla*. Massla will tell us to kill you!”  
“I’m not stealing anything! And I can’t kill you! I have no weapon!”  
The man grabs Jefferson by his ear and starts to drag him. “To Massla.”   
Jefferson is taken to the golden palace and dropped in front of a golden throne. The two men bow, then raise their hands.  
“Speak.” A woman talks.  
The men begin to speak in a language which was a series of clicks and grunts. Then the woman's voice interrupts them. One of the men grabs Jefferson's chin and roughly pushes his head up. There stood before him a stunning woman dressed in pure gold.  
“Englishman?” She addresses him.  
“Yes, your… Majesty?” Jefferson inquires. He gets a slap in the face.  
“Silence!”  
The woman says something in her language, and Jefferson’s captor stands back. She turns back to Jefferson. “They say you say you are not English, yet you speak their language. How is this?” She stretches her hand toward him as if to tell him to speak.  
“I-I don’t know. I don’t even know what English means!”  
“Then what are you doing here?”  
“I-I have a magic hat. And it takes me to different lands. I don’t want to steal anything, and I don’t want to be killed! I don’t even know what this place is!”  
The woman looks interested. “You can travel to different lands? Through a hat?”  
“Y-yes, ma'am.”   
The man behind him growls. “He is cursing you!”  
Jefferson's eyes widen. “No-no I’m not! Why would you-? Ma'am is a word of respect!”  
“Silence!” The woman yells. “Leave me alone with him. Now.”   
The man yells something in his language, and everyone in the room leaves but the woman. She crouches in front of him and runs her finger down the side of his face. “You are so pretty. I want to hear you speak of such lands.”  
“Well, ma'am… is that ok?” She nods. “Well, this is the first place I've been since I got the hat, but I used to travel with someone through holes, and we went to many different lands.” He launches into a spiel on all the lands he and Alice had visited, ending with Wonderland.   
She sits back. “And this… Alice… it sounds like you love… that’s the word, correct? It sounds like you love her.”  
He scoffs. “She left me without a word… I have no love for her whatsoever.”  
She nods understandingly. “I see… well good for you. I have a deal for you, if you would like to take it. I will welcome you here every time you come under two conditions… you bring something from another land to trade, and you share my bed with me. I am curious as to see how you are. I warn you, however, that if you try to kill me, you will be killed. Many men have tried, and all have failed.”  
Jefferson had never ‘shared a bed' with anyone before. He wasn’t sure what she meant, but he was thankful for any alliance. “I accept.”  
She smiles. “Then follow me.” She leads him to her bedroom, and what happens in there, Jefferson would not like to describe. After being fed fine food, he went on his way with a few gold coins, promising to return with goods to trade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I do not know much about the languages of the natives of the Caribbean islands. If the names I have used have offended anyone, please do tell me any names that would be non-offensive and more correct.


	6. Chapter 6

Jefferson returns to the Enchanted Forest, then uses the hat to explore new lands. Most places he set up an alliance with them, offering to trade with them when he arrives. One day, back in the Enchanted Forest, he gets a surprising visit. It was the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin. He assured Jefferson to not be afraid, and asked him about his knowledge of other lands. He asked him about a land without magic, where Alice was from. Jefferson replied that he didn’t know much about that land as he never went and she never spoke about it. The Dark One offered him a job, asking him to retrieve items for him from different lands. As this job went on, Jefferson grew lazy and started to steal. He was rewarded greatly by the Dark One who paid him in golden straw.   
The day he met Regina was a day etched permanently in his mind. He had retrieved an orb for the Dark One, who had also needed a pair of slippers, which Jefferson couldn’t find. Turns out, the slippers were what the Dark One needed. He needed to get to a land “without magic".  
Jefferson immediately thought of Alice, and asked scornfully, “Why would anyone want that?”  
The Dark One ignored his question, and told Jefferson to help himself to as much gold as he deemed his payment. Rumplestiltskin then told Regina to leave, telling her she couldn’t bring back the dead. Jefferson looked up and noticed that she was the new queen. He remembered Frankenstein, and thought to ‘help' her in exchange for free passage through her kingdom. She agreed.   
Jefferson made a deal with Frankenstein. They would fool Regina into thinking Victor had tried to bring her beloved back; however, Victor stole the heart and returned to his land. Jefferson DID meet up with Regina many times after that, mainly to ‘occupy' her when the king was simply too old and boring for her tastes. 


	7. Chapter 7

A year or two later, he had a surprise of his lifetime! He was in the Enchanted Forest near his old shop. He decided to walk past, see what became of it. There was a woman with long blonde hair standing out front, looking up at the house that was run down and falling apart. He walks up to her. “Excuse me, miss. Can I…” She turns around. “Alice?”  
“Jefferson? Oh my gosh, it is so good to see you!” She looks so happy. He wants to be, but she abandoned him! What gave her the right to be all happy? Her smile falters when he stands and looks at her, stone-faced. “Jefferson?”  
“You. Left. Me. Why should I be happy to see you?” He asks her coldly.   
“I didn’t want to go, I swear!” She argues. “You don’t know half the stuff they did to me so I could never come back!”  
“But you're all-powerful!”  
“Not in my home, I’m not. I’m actually very weak. That’s why I always dreamed like this.”  
“So you are dreaming?” He asks bitterly. “and you'll leave when you wake up?”   
She shakes her head. “No. I think this time I’m actually living.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alice's side of the story will come next.


	8. Chapter 8

Alice was born in 1951, during the Cold War to an upper-middle class family in London, England. Being an only child for 7 years until her mother gave birth to a son, she was used to being alone. She was homeschooled until she reached the age of 13. When she started secondary school, she wasn’t much closer to having a friend. She would read books all day and imagine what life was like in other lands. When she slept at night, she would have dreams about these lands, feeling as though she was actually there.   
At age 9, she dreamt of a forest, filled with little villages that were ruled by a benevolent king. She wandered down the road a little. This dream was different than other dreams. The people in her dreams usually left her alone, as if she was on the outside looking in. This time, however, she was surprised when a boy about her age stopped and asked if he could help her.  
Alice was so startled that someone actually spoke to her that she didn’t know what to say. “I… I think I’m dreaming. I was just in bed.”  
The boy laughs. “Miss, begging your pardon, I wish this was a dream, but this is real life. Would you like me to pinch you?”  
She sticks out her arm, which he takes, surprised. “Pinch it.” Squeezing her eyes tight when he pinches her, she looks surprised to see him still there. “I guess… I’m not dreaming.”  
He offers to take her back to his village, and she accidentally conjures up a horse and wagon for them to ride. He steps back from her, afraid. After assuring him that she didn’t know how it happened, she gets in the wagon after him and rides back to the millinery shop. He tells her to wait, looks in, then motions for her to come in. He shares his dinner with her and tells her to take his bed, then proceeds to fall asleep in front of the fire. It looks so warm and cozy. Alice closes her eyes only for her to wake up in her own bed again. What a wonderful dream!  
Every night after that, when Alice dreams she always goes back to the Forest where she met Jefferson. She took him to different lands through a rabbit hole that she made. They visited El Dorado, Transylvania, and her favorite – Wonderland! It was always so colorful and weird! Anything could happen there even when she didn’t use her powers, and no one batted an eye! Jefferson was always wary about Wonderland – he said it gave him a bad feeling, but he always went with her. Even though he was a figment of her dreams, Jefferson became her best friend. When she spoke about her dreams in real life, people laughed her off, calling her an odd and/or mad girl with her head in the clouds. 


	9. Chapter 9

When she was 14, Alice’s parents died. Alice would inherit the family fortune when she turned 18. Greedy relatives who wanted the money for themselves trued to find ways to get her out of the picture. They placed her in a mental institution, bribing doctors to diagnose her with schizophrenia, needing constant care. There Alice was left to rot. One of the doctors, a Doctor Anthony Shennan, at this fine institute actually had a conscience and gave her a job there, nursing the other patients. She worked there for three years, helping the mentally ill. They all loved her because she painted the stories of her dreams all over the bleak walls of their minds. They would beg her for a story of a particular land she visited. Alice was happy – for once she was appreciated by the people around her.  
For the whole time she worked in this hospital, Alice did not dream. When she had the chance to sleep, her brain was far too tired to wander to other lands. She did, however, wonder what it would be like if she saw Jefferson again.   
At age 16, the Dr. Shennan died. The doctor that replaced him did not like Alice. He forced her to work long hours with no pay or benefits. She was not allowed near any of the patients and was locked in her room every night to sleep in order to “protect those around her". Alice would fall into bed exhausted, sleep for a maximum of three hours, and get up again to work. Her health diminished, and she grew sickly. The days she was too sick to work, she was forced to stay in her room with no food or drink.   
One would go mad in the room she lived in. The area of her room was a total of 6 square meters (54 square feet). The walls, bare. She had a sink and a bed with a small lamp on a box. There were no windows, and the door locked on the outside.  
She lived this way for 3 months, hopeless. One day , she was cleaning the nurses' bathroom near the end of her shift when she heard something speak to her. The sound… seemed to come from… _the mirror_?   
“Alice!” It came out as a slow, drawn-out whisper. “Alice. Come to me!”


	10. Chapter 10

“Alice. Come to me!”  
As if in a trance, she walked towards the mirror. Reaching her hand out, her fingers went through the mirror! She jumped back, confused and a little frightened.   
“Alice. Go through. You will be free from the pain!” The voice urged her. She climbed up on the sink and slowly crawled through the mirror. Once her whole body got through, she dropped. Falling quickly and thinking she was dying, she thought of Jefferson. Quickly the free-fall stopped. She landed on her feet in the middle of a forest. Looking around, Alice noticed that this was the Enchanted Forest that she had visited so many times!  
Once Alice regained her surroundings, she made her way to the millinery shop. It look a little over an hour. Hungry, she stopped in front of the shop, only to find it run-down and closed up. Her shoulders fell.   
“Alice?” She spun around at the sound of that slightly familiar voice that had grown deeper with age.  
“Jefferson! Oh my gosh! It is so good to see you! You wouldn’t believe-” She halts uncertainly when she sees the cold look on his face. “Jefferson?”


	11. Chapter 11

> “You. Left. Me. Why should I be happy to see you?” He asks her angrily.  
> Alice steps back in shock. “I didn’t want to go, I swear!” She argues. “You don’t know half the stuff they did to me so I could never come back!”  
> “But you're all-powerful!”  
> “Not in my home, I’m not. I’m actually very weak. That’s why I always dreamed like this.”  
> “So you are dreaming?” He asks bitterly. “and you'll leave when you wake up?”   
> She shakes her head. “No. I think this time I’m actually living.”  
> Jefferson eyes her warily. “Why didn’t you come back sooner?”  
> “They wouldn’t let me dream. Anytime I slept, I couldn’t dream. I couldn’t visit you, no matter how much I wanted to.”  
> He wants to believe her, so badly, but he was too afraid of her leaving again. “So are you staying forever now?”  
> “If you'll have me,” She answers shyly.  
> “I just… don’t want you to leave again! Like you did before."  
> “I will do anything in my power to never leave you.” She promises. “And it seems like I still have my powers so…”  
> “Ok.” Jefferson relents. “But it may take a while to fully trust you again.”  
> “I understand. What have you been doing when I wasn’t here?”  
> “Well, I kept the hatting business up, but no one bought from me because I was mad for believing you were real. Then one day I helped an old witch that everyone else scorned, and she gave me powers.”  
> Alice's eyes light up. “Really? You have powers too?”   
> “Yes, but they are limited.” He takes the hat off his head. “This hat is a portal to other worlds. But only I can use it, and the amount of people that go in must come out. It’s not like your powers.”  
> “That is wonderful! You were able to visit other lands! Did you go to new places?”   
> “Yes… many new places! Some were bad places, though. There was one land that was full of monsters. A man, well he said he was a vampire, named Benny said that was where monsters went when they died. I never went back to that place. Another land had huge, giant lizards. Some ate plants, some ate other lizards.”  
> “Dinosaurs…” Alice breathes. “I would love to see that...”  
> “I also went to a place called Tatooine. It was basically a huge desert. A boy named Luke, around my age, asked if I could take him somewhere away from that place, but I wasn’t able to because I had travelled there alone. Have you ever heard of Neverland?”  
> “Yes! I liked the story of Peter Pan! That’s true??”  
> “I think so… you could stay there and never grow old. Pan asked me many times of the Dark One. I don’t know why… maybe he saw him as a threat. I mentioned this to the Dark One, who laughed and said that he had no interest in Neverland at all.”  
> “So you travel all the time now?”  
> “I am like an interdimensional trader now.”  
> “That is… the tops!” Alice is vibrating with excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hee hee notice my Star Wars, Jurassic World, & Supernatural referrences


	12. Chapter 12

“Would you like to come with me?” Jefferson grins at her.  
“Yes! Yes! Definitely! Can we use your hat?”   
“Of course. But first, can we prove your existence to the townspeople?”  
Alice shrugs, then runs towards the town, pulling him after her. Jefferson leads her into the bakery. Everyone in the shop stops talking when he walks in.  
“Jefferson, is that you?” An old man peers over his spectacles. “I thought I had told ya that we don’t serve lunatics here.”  
“Relax, Mr. Berry, I don’t want your food anyways. I just want to introduce you to Alice, the portal jumper.”  
A middle-aged woman walks up to Jefferson. “You need to let go of your delusions, you freak! You drove my dear friend to her grave with your carrying on!”  
“But I’m real.” Alice cuts in sweetly. “ I have the power to do whatever I want in your dimension.”  
“Prove it!” A little boy shouts. “I want a bunny!”  
“Oh, you want to see my pet, Alfie?” She snaps her fingers and a white rabbit appears in her hands. “Alfie, say hi!”  
The people gasp and step back. The boy’s mother clutches him to her breast.   
“Come on Jefferson, we have better things to do.” Alice takes his hand and casts a scornful look behind her as she leaves. They walk back up to the millinery shop, with several brave townsfolk following them. 


	13. Chapter 13

Jefferson twirls his hat, and they jump in. Alice squeals in delight when she sees the room of many doors. “Oh my goodness! This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen! You are soo lucky!” She gives him a big hug and a peck on the cheek, then runs over to the doors, not noticing the blush that started to conquer Jefferson’s face.  
“Have you visited all these places?”  
“Most of them.”  
“What’s this place?” She walks to the very door that Jefferson chose first.  
Jefferson hesitates, knowing his arrangement with Massla. “That… might not be the best place to start. Let’s try here!” He leads her to the door that leads her to Asgard. She spends the day there in wonder. Asgard was one place that allowed him to visit with no trade agreement.  
They returned to the Enchanted Forest for the night. Alice created a little hovel for them to stay in. Jefferson felt a touch of contentment feeling Alice snuggle up to him, sleeping soundly.  
The days went by, and Jefferson introduces Alice to his trade. She always makes sure they have something to trade. After visiting most lands, she again brings up the door that lead to Massla's kingdom. Jefferson looks uncomfortable. “Alice. That place…”  
“Come on. I can protect you! What’s it like?” She wheedles.  
“It is lush and green. All the buildings are gold, and I have not seen fruit that grows there anywhere else. They called me and Englishman when I first arrived. They didn’t like Englishmen.”  
“Well, luckily I was an English- ** _woman_**. So why are you so against going?”  
“I… made a deal with the queen of this place. Anytime I went, I had to… ummm…”  
“Sleep with her?” Alice asks.  
He flushes. “Yes.”  
“Let’s just go. I’ll protect you. We have more than enough stuff to trade.”  
After much imploring, Jefferson gives in. “Ok, fine.”


	14. Chapter 14

They walk through the portal, and Alice gasps. “It’s beautiful!”  
Two men stop them with spears drawn until one says. “Oh, Jefferson! Come. Massla misses you.”  
Jefferson throws Alice an “I told you so" look, then follows the men, motioning for her to come. They are led into the throne room.  
“Jefferson! It has been a while!” Massla walks in, smiling brightly. Alice shifts a little defensively. The queen looks at her, then tilts her head. “Who is this?”  
“Massla… this is Alice… the one I had told you about.”  
“Hmmm… and she's back now?”  
“Yes, I could tell you the whole story.”  
“I’d rather speak with her.” Massla's eyes narrow when she looks at Alice. “Come.” She holds out her hand and leads Alice back to her room. Bewildered, Alice follows her.  
Massla sits at a table, studying Alice. “So you are Alice…”   
“Yes.”  
“Do you know you hurt Jefferson?”  
“Yes. I wanted to come back, but I was unable.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“I was only able to visit Jefferson in my dreams. I would leave when I woke up. However, I was forced to work hard and long. In that span of 6 years, I was unable to dream as my brain was just too tired. I finally escaped reality by walking through a mirror. I immediately returned to the Forest where I met Jefferson. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt him.”  
“Did he tell you of our deal? Anytime he comes here?”  
Alice shifts in her seat. “Yes.”  
“And you were ok with that?”  
“No. I wasn’t. But this is the Bermuda Triangle, and I had to see it at least once. The one thing Jefferson failed to tell you is that I am extremely powerful. I can conjure things into being and move quickly from place to place. I told him I would protect him, which I plan to do. We have things to trade with you – I made sure of that.”  
Massla leans forward. “You can conjure anything? Can you conjure me a fox? Jefferson brought one once, but he has since died. I did love that animal.”  
A baby fox appears on the floor by Massla's feet. She scoops it up with a squeal. “Oh, he's adorable! You may go. Tell Jefferson I still need to talk to him. Send him back.”  
Alice walks out reluctantly tells Jefferson to go back. “She wants to talk to you. Remember to click the button if something happens.”  
Jefferson nods, then makes that familiar trip back to Massla’s room. He walks in to find her cooing to a baby fox. “Massla?”  
She looks up. “Oh, Jefferson. I see you have found Alice again.” He nods nervously. “Are you afraid she will leave again?”   
“No. I believe she is here to stay. I love her Massla. Please don’t make me…”  
“Relax. I would never force you.” She smiles softly. “I am happy that you have found someone who you truly love. You had been jaded for a long time. Now give me a… what is it called? A hug. You are welcome back anytime.” She pulls him into a warm embrace. “Now go live your life. Be careful.”  
Tears spring to his eyes. “Thank you Massla. You are a wonderful person.”  
He walks put to Alice pacing. “Let’s go.” He says, tears still in his eyes.  
“Are you ok? What happened?”  
Still crying, he tells her happily. “Nothing happened. She is so wonderful. Do you want go now?”  
“Yes. Let’s.”


	15. Chapter 15

Ever since Alice had come back, the pair had never gone to Wonderland. Jefferson suspects that it was because she knew he did not like the world and didn’t want to push him. He remembers how much joy she exuded when they were there. He decides that he will take her there and bear through it.

  
“I want to pick the land this time.” He tells her. “And you must close your eyes.”

  
“Why? Where are you taking me?” She asks skeptically.

  
“I will not tell you. I need you to cover your eyes, or I will have to blindfold you.”

  
Her eyes sparkle. “I trust you. Blindfold me though, because I won’t be able to keep my eyes closed.”

  
He blindfolds her, using a scarf he'd received from Agrabah. Taking her arms, he leads her through the mirror. She giggles at the feel of it.

  
Once in Wonderland, he takes off the scarf and tells her to look around. Her eyes open and she smiles. “You brought me to Wonderland? I thought you hated this place!”

  
“It’s more bearable with you here.”

  
She pulls his head down for a kiss and smooches him there on the spot. “Jefferson, you are amazing! I love you!”

  
“I love you, too, Alice. Should we take a walk?”

  
They walk through the towns, Alice frowns. “This isn’t exactly the same. Everyone is living in fear.”

  
“What do you think from?”

  
An old lady hobbles out of a shed. “Fear the Jabberwocky. If I were you two, I’d leave this town now.”

  
“The… Jabberwocky?” Jefferson questions.

  
“He hunts in these parts. The queen uses him to hunt the disobedient.”

  
“The queen? Since when was there a queen?” Alice looks angry.

  
“She just appeared one day. And she has magic. We can’t stop her. Oh!” She clasps her hands over her mouth and scurries on.

  
“I can’t believe there is a queen here!” Alice fumes. “They were always so happy and carefree here!”

  
“I’m a little more concerned about this ‘Jabberwocky.’”

  
“Oh please. That’s an easy enough fix. Just cut his head off with this sword.” She produces a long blade.

  
“Woah! Where’d that come from?”

  
“My imagination.” She tells him matter-of-factly.

  
“Alice, I love you, but sometimes I wonder about your imagination.”

  
“Pfft.” She waves her hand at him. “Let’s explore some more.”


	16. Chapter 16

They spend two weeks in Wonderland, Alice getting more and more upset with the oppression over the land. The people lived in fear of the Jabberwocky.

  
“I've had it.” She announces at dinner. “I’m gonna kill it.”

  
“Gonna kill what?” Roger, the March Hare, asks.

  
“The Jabberwocky.”

  
Everyone stills in fear. “Ms. Alice, ma'am! The queen can hear all! You shouldn’t jest about such things.”

  
Jefferson could see that Alice was completely serious. “Alice…”

  
“They are being mistreated, Jefferson.” She hisses. “This is my land. I will take care of it.”

  
Suddenly, the most terrible sound Jefferson had ever heard fills the air. It sounds like a mixture of tortured animals and the roar of hell. The townspeople jump and scatter. “The Jabberwocky!”

  
Alice stands up, pulls the sword from its sheath, and squares her shoulders. “This thing is going to die.”

  
The ground began to shake as a pounding started. Closer and closer it came until the Jabberwocky stopped in front of Alice.  
“Alice, the daughter of no one. You think you can defeat me?”

  
“Oh no, I know I can.”

  
The monster screams again and lunges forward. Alice thrusts and twists, managing to get a few good hits on the… thing. It laughs darkly. “Pathetic.”  
For the first time, it seems to notice Jefferson. “And who’s this? Oh he’s pretty.”

  
“Put. Him. Down.”

  
“No, I think I’ll take him with me,” The monster roars, standing up on his hind feet. “And don’t worry, I won’t eat him. No he’s too pretty.” A long, serpent-like tongue comes out of his mouth and completely covers Jefferson’s face. “He tastes good, too.”

  
“You’re not taking him anywhere. You’re going to die.” Alice says.

  
“Oh ho ho, are you a dream-walker?” The Jabberwocky’s body shakes with laughter. “The queen knows about your kind. I am warded against them.”

  
“Fine. Then I will kill you myself. Without magic.” Alice raises her sword.

  
The Jabberwocky transfers Jefferson from his claw to the top of his head, trapping him between horns. “I would love for you to try.” Settling onto all 8 legs, he crouches into a battle stance.

  
Alice is not well-trained in the art of fencing, but she is sure not going to lose Jefferson now. She swings and deflects, hacking away at the monster’s skin.

  
“You’ll never defeat me!” The monster roars, laughing demonically.

  
Jefferson crawls between the horns, looking for a vulnerable spot on the monster’s head. There is a wound right beside the far right horn that looks fresh. He pulls put his fabric scissors. Alice always teased him about bringing them along, but he knew he’d need them. With all his strength, he jams the scissors into the Jabberwocky’s head. It screams in pain, and trips on one of its feet. Jefferson holds on for dear life as the creature shakes its head back and forth, trying to rid itself of the torment.

  
As the monster falls, Alice swings the sword and chops his head off. The ground shakes with the impact. 


	17. Chapter 17

Once she is sure the monster is dead, Alice starts to shake. “I wasn’t able to stop it using my magic. Does that mean I can’t help these people?”

  
“Alice. You just helped them. They no longer live in fear of the Jabberwocky.”

  
“But what if the queen makes another one? A more powerful one? What if it kills you?” She shudders.

  
“We will deal with that if it comes to it, honey. It will be ok – look, here come the townsfolk.” Jefferson turns her to the road. People were standing there, watching.

  
A little girl breaks free of her mother’s hand and runs up to them. “Did you kill him?”

  
Alice nods mutely.

  
“Thank you! You saved us! When I grow up, I want to be just like you.”

  
Alice smiles. “You are brave – it’s a hard life, but I wouldn’t want any other.” She takes Jefferson’s hand. “I’m sorry, but we need to find the nearest town. We need to do something.”

  
The girl’s father is close by. “Our town is down the road. You are welcome to stay with us.”

  
“Thank you, sir. We appreciate it.” Jefferson helps Alice up. Together they walk hand-in-hand to the village. “What do we need to do again?”

  
“We need to get married…” Alice hesitates. “unless you don’t want to…”

  
Jefferson gives her a look. “Of course I do, but what makes it so immediate?”

  
“When the Jabberwocky had you, I realized that I never wanted to lose you. If we're married, they can’t separate us at all.” Alice brings her hand up to his cheek.

  
“Not because… I’m just so beautiful?” Jefferson teases.

  
“Nah… they tell me I could definitely get a prettier guy, but I think I’m ok with the one I have. I can’t be married to a man who looks better than I do.”

  
“That could never happen.” Jefferson is sure his eyes were shaped like hearts.

  
“You sap. Tomorrow we will marry, but now, let’s get some rest.”


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning, Jefferson and Alice stand before a judge, who proclaimed them husband and wife. If you think they settled down, however, you do not know this couple at all. They travel all over the dimensions, bringing objects and stories to new lands.

  
They spend most of their time in Wonderland, but make frequent trips to Jefferson’s favorite land – Doylestown. Alice says it reminds her too much of an old-time version of her real-life home, and nothing exciting happens here, but Jefferson appreciates the genius of the man who lives on Baker Street. So Alice rolls her eyes and deals with it.

  
When Alice tells Jefferson she is pregnant, he is ecstatic, but then he panics. What if something happens to her or the child while they are portal-hopping? Alice tells him to stop worrying and that she will be fine.

  
Right before baby Grace is born, a proclamation is sent over Wonderland that the queen is looking for dream-walkers. Every one of them should be detained and “fixed". A high reward is set for those who are able to catch them. Many people stay loyal to Alice, but some desperately want to gain the queen's favor and turn against Alice.

  
Due to the rising tension in Wonderland, Alice and Jefferson decide that once the baby is born, they will travel differently. Jefferson will always take the baby with him through his hat, and Alice will travel her way. If anything happened to either of them, the other would be able to escape with Grace.

  
Grace is born on a warm day in the month of Haverstace. Those around the small family give small gifts and food to help with the child. A happy and contented baby, Grace is loved by all. She slowly grows up with an endless supply of friends.   
But as all good things must come to an end, tragedy strikes. The queen has found a way to stop the powers of a dream-walker. She distributes the spell throughout the land, telling people to apprehend all dream-walkers. When news of bounty hunters reaches the town Alice is staying at for the time being, she knows it is time to leave. The family packs up and moves to a different dimension. They live in peace, travelling. 


	19. Chapter 19

When Grace turns one, Alice suggests they visit Wonderland again. She is afraid the people are being persecuted because of her. Jefferson begs her not to go back.

  
“They want to _kill_ you Alice! Think of your family! Think of Grace!” He pleads with her.

  
As unhappy as she is, Alice's mind is set. She is going to go back. “Don’t worry,” she throws back more carelessly than she feels, “they couldn’t catch us no matter how hard they try.”

  
Seeing that she will not back down, Jefferson gives up. They travel to Wonderland, where they keep safe for a little while. One day, a mist covers the land, knocking Alice out. When she comes to, something is wrong.

  
“My powers,” she whispers, “she found a way to stop them.”

  
“Come on! Get up! We'll find a way to get you safe!”   
“I can’t move. Jefferson, take Grace and go back to the Enchanted Forest. Wait there. I will break free of this and get home to you. Go now, or they’ll kill her, too!”

  
Jefferson tries to protest, but the sound of marching soldiers grows nearer. He scoops up the crying Grace and runs to the portal. Before going through, he stands paralyzed watching the guards pick Alice up and take her away. He only moves to action when Grace sniffles and cuddles against him. He steps through the portal and finds himself in the Enchanted Forest by his old shack.

  
Once again, Jefferson is lost. He has no idea how to go on from here. He doesn’t know even how to parent. Yea, he did his best when Alice around, but she instructed him on most things. Now he has to care for his one-year old daughter, and his only source of income is travelling to dangerous places. The thrill of travel is gone.

  
He rocks Grace until she falls asleep. At least he can do that. Should he… try to make hats again? The townsfolk want nothing to do with him. Maybe… he remembers how he made a few cents before his father lost him in his gambling. Fungus… no one wanted to go to the forest to get it, but everyone wanted it. Well he was mad enough to deal with a witch, he is mad enough to explore the forest.

  
Jefferson locks his hat away and makes a decision to never touch it again. He makes what can barely be called a living collecting and selling fungus at the market. He believes the only reason the town accepts him is because of Grace. Everyone loves Grace. An older couple move into a cottage close to him. They offer to watch Grave if he ever needs to tread deep into the forest for special plants. She grows to love them as grandparents.

  
Every night when he is in bed, Jefferson thinks of Alice. Sometimes he cries because he misses her. Sometimes he is angry that she chose to go back to Wonderland. But she is always on his mind.


	20. Chapter 20

Grace is 8 before he knows it. He is sad that he can’t give her more. She never complains; she is always so happy. Her favorite thing to do is play tea party with the stuffed animals that Jefferson makes her with the rest of the hatting material he finds around the cottage.

  
One day they return from the woods, and the queen's carriage is sitting by the shack. Wary of what Regina would want, Jefferson tells Grace to go to the neighbor’s. He steels himself and walks into his house.

  
Regina is as lovely as ever, and she talks a good story, but she wants him to use the hat and he just can’t… especially because she wants him to go to the place where Alice… No! Those thoughts must go.  
He does wish he could give Grace a better life. When he is unable to buy Grace the _one thing_ she asks for – _one simple little thing_. His angel – his Grace – plays it off like it’s no big deal, but he feels terrible. In bed that night, he considers the deal Regina gave him. He also thinks… _**What if Alice is alive? Maybe he can see her again.**_

  
Mind made up, he sends Grace to the neighbor’s. If he would look back on this day, Jefferson would tell you that he should’ve heeded Grace’s pleading just like Alice should’ve heeded his so many years before. But his mind was set – he was going to give Grace the life she deserves.

  
Once again, Jefferson stands paralyzed in Wonderland. This time, however, he is looking towards the portal, not away from it. He doesn’t even try to fight it when the page takes him to the queen.   
He is quite traumatized when his head is detached from his body, but what drives him mad is that he cannot get back to his daughter. His Grace, his daughter, is now living without either parent… all because he was greedy. He spends day after day, minute after minute trying to create a magic hat that will send him back to Grace.


	21. Chapter 21

One day a dark purple cloud covered the land. Jefferson wakes up to an unfamiliar room in an unfamiliar house. He’s never seen such splendor before. He wonders if he died and this is heaven, but he’s afraid that he doesn’t belong there.

  
Regina comes to visit him once. Laughing, she tells him of her plan to bring a new village to a new world – one without magic. Grace is no longer his daughter and he must not leave the house.

  
Every. Single. Day. For 28 years, Jefferson would follow the same schedule he could never seem to break. He would routinely watch Grace through a telescope he found in the house – Regina really knows how to torment him – and make hats. As he suspected, none of them worked.

  
Jefferson tried to break the cycle. He would go to the door, but there was a barrier between him and the outdoors. He even did try once to kill himself, but Regina visited again and threatened to hurt Grace, or “Paige" as she called her. Day in, day out, Jefferson lived in the worst torture he could imagine.

  
When he was stuck in Wonderland, he had hope. But now, being able to see his daughter and never being able to do anything about it, the whole situation looked hopeless. Until…


	22. Chapter 22

Until... the day a little yellow Volkswagen beetle pulls into town. The woman was returning Regina’s adopted son who had run away. Jefferson felt a change in the air. He moved towards the door, and he stepped outside. This woman must be the savior.   
It would be safe to say that at this point, Jefferson is selfish. He doesn’t care about the town; he just wants to take Grace and return home with her. Nightly, he goes out walking and surveying the land, trying to find anything that could help him.

  
Mary Margaret Blanchard, the school teacher, was indicted for murder. Imagine Jefferson's surprise when he found her running through the forest! He quickly apprehends her, thinking that Ms. Swan would be closely behind.

  
When it all goes down, Emma fights him to try to “save" Mary Margaret. While doing so, she pulls off his scarf. The look on her face when she sees his neck will forever be imprinted in his memory. He just wants to take his daughter home. In the end, he lets them go.

  
A few days later, Regina calls him to her mansion via a card on Grace’s bike. She wants to find a way to stop Emma, but she can’t kill her, or the curse is broken. She convinces Jefferson to use the hat one last time to procure her an apple with a sleeping curse attached to it. If she succeeds, she will give Grace back to Jefferson and they can start over.  
Regina does not succeed. Emma breaks the curse. Mr. Gold sends a wraith to kill Regina. They send it back to the Enchanted Forest via Jefferson's hat. Now Jefferson has no hat through which to escape. He lives his days in misery.

  
Jefferson is afraid to find Grace. Surely after all he’d done to her, she would hate him. He believes it would be best to remember her as someone who loved him than to face the inevitable.

  
Henry, Regina and Emma’s son, reminds him that Grace would like to know why he left. The boy says it is worse to not know. So to spare Grace any grief, he goes to meet her at the bus stop. He barely gets a word out when she stops still, turns, then runs into his arms.

  
“Poppa! I’m so glad I finally found you!”

  
Jefferson can’t answer due to the sobs pouring from his throat. His little angel still loves him!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapters will be from Alice's POV.


End file.
